Which Leaders Do I Use For Euro Nymphing, Dry Dropper, Dry Flies, and Streamers? 

Thanks to you and Lance, always appreciate your knowledge

These short videos are great additions. As others have posted I definitely recommend purchasing your book and downloading both videos. I routinely refer back to the leader (and other) sections of your book to refresh myself on the basics. Thanks!

Thanks for all your help I love buying from your shop you have all the coolest stuff

Love how informational/helpful your videos are! ...just picked up your book Tactical Fly Fishing - just started it with a cup of coffee this morning - already loving it. Tight lines!

Great video, enjoyed and learned. I'm trying your dry fly set up as soon as i get on the water.

Fantastic fly fishing tutorial. I certainly enjoyed watching the different ways in building leaders. Thank you for sharing, it really is a great video.

Thanks Devin, enjoyed the education on leaders. Good video

I was not aware that you made adaptive video last year with Covid and losing my job I just now realized you have a new video that I will be purchasing I love you to other videos have helped me tremendously and have got to meet you guys here in Colorado back in 2016 for the world championships thank you for what you guys do keep up the work

Thanks again for the great content Devin. I just bought some Scafars Neon from the online store so good to see how you use it. I purchased some other goodies as well. It got here fast and everything looks great. Can't wait to take it out and try it on the water. Keep up the great vids.

Great stuff as usual! You have taken my fishing to another level. Love your store and books/videos!! Keep em coming

I'm glad you made this video because now I don't have to fast forward through Adaptive fly fishing (not that I don't already watch it repetitively) but this serves as a nice 'bookmark'. Thanks Devin!

Great video - love the hookset at ~8.30 in. Waiting to get back to the rivers at the moment - confined to 5km from home :(

Thanks for the video. Great information. I have been reading a lot about leaders recently and hope to start building my own. The info in this video will give me a great start!

Tanks so much Mate .So good pic and understanding for newbee anglers like me . From NZ fans

Thank you Thank you.. I had the same question like other guys. It's answered now. Thanks again Devin

Another great video from TTF. I recommend both videos and Devin’s book.

Great video. Last weekend we found some fish rising in 28° weather and made do with our standard euro leaders by tying 5 or 6x tippet onto the end of the leader and throwing size 16 Parachute Hair's ears. The highlight of my day was when a 17" brown slurped my dry right at the end of the drift and I was able to bring him to the net. I'm going to start playing around with smaller leader formulas this spring/summer.

Thanks man loved the films and just got your book very informative

I needed a guide to figure out a good dry dropper leader. Once again thank you. You don’t know what kind of monster you have created through your videos and books. My dry dropper game needed some pick up and I think you just handed me the key.

Very informative. Thanks

Good video.

Great video!! Thank you

Appreciate the intel. Started tight-lining with a constructed mono-rig (props to Dom at Troutbitten) attached to a 4wt fly line via a perfection loop I put on the end of my mono-rig. Tightlining/Euronymphing ..whatever you want to call it, was still a new concept to me & keeping the fly line out of the guides prevented sag. When rises started in earnest, I’d take it off and stow it, which was quite onerous - coiling/trying not to rush then tying new leader for & the flies etc..during a happy hour sulphur hatch, it was 1/2 over before I finished - so I started carrying a cheaper Lamson 4wt reel to swap out with my Sage ESN reel to toss dries. All that being said (there was a point), it’s time to change out the fly line on that Sage reel to Euro line, which I know you mentioned in the q’s…recommendations on a specific brand for a 10.5 3wt nymphing rod? And not sure I saw it in all 119 comments preceding mine but attaching the line to the micro leader…mail knot?? I’m pretty good at tuck casting & my drifts after 4 years of this but always trying to improve but nonetheless filling my cart as an appreciative gesture for your efforts & patience & will grab your book after all the glowing reviews- thank you & tightlines!

Great info

Thanks!!

THANK YOU

Opening segment. Devin it looks you merch from your entire store strapped to your torso. 😀

Awesome

Great explanation...I'm laughing to myself because I was one of the guys that asked a million questions about your leader setup. One other (dumbish) question: do you switch rods when going between your nymphing rig and dry fly rig?

Thanks, as usual, for a great video. One last, I hope, leader question: What is your formula and rod/line combo for loch style fishing?

I watch this so often that it is on my bookmark bar. Great info Devin!

Thanks again for a great video Devin. What rod do you use for your dry fly fishing? Are you using the same euro rod or changing?

Buy the videos gents your learning curve will shorten drastically. I asked Lance 10 years ago what good euro nymphing videos were out there. There were non until devin and lance did this series.

Devin that is awesome stuff. I have been toying around with using inverted tungsten beads and jig hooks and they come out looking awesome. The bead sits perfectly without that wonky look like on a standard nymph hook. Do you have any thoughts on that. Thank you! Sam

@Tactical Fly Fisher, bought all 3 of your vids, great stuff, learnt a lot from you and Lance. Apologies if already covered this somewhere, but how do you connect 3x-4x micro thin leader to the fly line? I like to keep the fly line on reel for when switching tactics. Right now I'm micro looping 3-4x directly with fly line loop. Also, is there a reason that you prefer keeping the indicator mono length at 13-14' feet. I was trying the rig out the other day, and to get more distance, I had to get some of the fly line into the guides, which the pulls back on the light mono. Seems to me 25' of indicator mono would be more flexible, so get none of the fly line off the spool, but suspect must be some wisdom in keeping it at 13'-14' ft

Thank you for your videos. Very informative and well done. Are you using the same rod when you switch from micro leader to dry fly leader? What length and weight is it? Thanks!

So are you still using a micro thin leader for dry/dropper? If so are you tying the dry off the top tag or the tippet ring? Do you change from fluoro to mono for the dry? Thanks man! Great video as always.

hey Devin, great video as usual, I have all of your videos and am a regular at tactical. looking for a new chest type fishing pack--my BW chest pac no longr being made. What chest rig are you using in your video--Which Leaders Do I Use For Euro Nymphing, Dry Dropper, Dry Flies, and Streamers?--where can i get one. Thanks, jerry Tomasso, glenwood springs

Great video. Would Maxima Chameleon be an OK substitute for Fluorocarbon for the 20 & 15 lb. sections of the streamer leader? Or is there some characteristic of the fluorocarbon (such as sink rate) that make it the go-to material? I ask as, I don't have much need for 20lb and 15lb fluorocarbon other than streamer leaders, but I do have 20 and 15lb chameleon lying around from use in dry fly leaders.

Great video. But I have to ask… how much stuff do you carry for a day of fishing. Two packs and a mess in front. Haha

Is there a video of yours on how to fish this streamer setup you use at the end? I guess you do it euro style?

My preferred trout dry fly rod is a 7.5 foot, 3/2, 3-weight bamboo with a WF-4-F line on a Peerless 1A fly reel. I've been using 7-1/2' 4X to 7X tapered leaders which I extend, as needed, with 5X to 8X tippet. Is there a better way? I have experimented using sections from 10' very light leaders to extend my 7-1/2' 4X leaders in an effort to replenish taper with minimal blood knots. What would you recommend for a dry fly leader design for this rod of medium action. I cast mostly size 14 - 22 flies on smaller trout streams in the Driftless Regions of Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. I also use a Sage Graphite III GFL 379 LLB fly rod for the larger trout streams in my area. This rod is pretty good for wets, nymphs, small streamers, terrestrials, and dries where the canopies of foliage are less intrusive. I always seek to improve leader design for short and medium distance casting. I enjoyed your videos...wonder if your leader formulas can be scaled down a bit for shorter rods? Ron

Hi Devin, is there a reason that you use longer tippet section in your micro leader vs the other euro nymphing leaders from prior videos? Before it seemed the whole tippet was 1.5-2x water depth and now it’s twice the length of the rod which is A lot longer and moves the sighter from above the tippet ring to the tippet and didn’t know your thoughts. Thanks again!

For a beginner in fly fishing with some experience in spinning, would you suggest to go straight to Euro Nymphing with a 10' rod #3 weight set up or should start with a "regular" fly fishing setup? I've just started the book and I love it so far.

What euro rod size and line would work best with suspension rigs? I’m asking because even though I predominantly fish euro style, the two big rivers that I fish most commonly get very windy since they are in canyons or deep valleys. With this in mind, I find that I’m often breaking out my backup rod for those windy days to fish a suspension rig. I also fish dry droppers in the summer more often then not.

Super! How far can you effectively get out?

How would you modify the leader for Lake Erie Steelhead fishing?

What is the lanyard that Devin is using. Looks like a box is Attached as well as tippet and accessories.

On the dry-fly set up.. Are you using a blood knot to connect the Maxima Chameleon and how many loops are you creating for each knot? Apologies in advance for (probably) over thinking this..

With any nymph rig set up, do you fish the whole out through the rod tip or do you have the but end part of that leader closer to the reel and under your finger so that you can have tactile feel for the take?

Do fish really love light metallic pink beads or am I just having awesome luck the last 3 days

Hi when fishing big dries like hoppers do you still use the long delicate leader? Do you use flourocarbon for your tippet section and do you grease your leader/tippet?

So in this setup for the euro leader, is the 12-13’ of indicator mono tied directly to the fly line?

when you say 13' of indicator mono are you using Cortland indicator mono in white? or something like SA tricolored sighter?

Hello, question when streamer fishing. I saw the video and the setup but when your streamer fishing, are you casting out far so that your fly line is out flowing out the rod and guides and then retrieving with the hand? thank you......

What size tippet do you use for streamers on this leader?

Devin, what’s a good leader formula for a dry dropper/ floating sighter that won’t spook fish in low clear water. I have been using the one you had a few years ago with 12” of clear mono 8lb. Before tippet ring

Are you using a “competition” fly line and just changing your leader on the stream as the situation changes? Thanks for all the great info! Love your content and materials from your store!

This may be a silly question, but how do you keep the NEON Wax from getting all over you ? I use it as well, and inevitably, it goes from my thumb to my gear, ie clothing, sometimes the cork etc. I usually carry a small rag for it but let me know if you have any tricks to help out ! Thanks D!

what is a micro perfection loop? just a very small perfection loop?

With the dry fly leader are you switching lines to a regular floating weight forward or DT line? If so, do you still use your euro nymph rod or a different rod?

Do you use the same rod and fly line with all of these leader combinations?

This is a wonderful video. However, if you thought that it would stop the avalanche of questions, you might wish to reconsider. For example, could you explain why you need a sighter and a waxed portion of your tippet. If you're using the latter for strike detection, isn't the former superfluous?

What kind of indicator mono 4x are you useing to make the micro leader? Im haveing trouble finding this line...

Hi Devin! My question is do you ever use 4.5x for your micro leaders? Or is 3-4x the lightest you can go?

Is there a way to combine the dry fly leader with floating the sighter capabilities?

What’s the purpose of the maxima chameleon in your leaders?

Where did you get those glasses?

Hi Devin, question about the dry fly leader: you finish it with 4lbs chameleon but 5x and even 6x tippet usually have a higher resistance (chameleon is terrible is size to resistance ratio as I'm sure you know), isn't that an issue? Is Maxima's 4lbs a real resistance higher than the usual 5lbs tippet? Or the know tippet to fly would break before the 4lbs chameleon? Thanks

Hey Devin. Great video. I like to read the comments to make sure I’m not repeating questions but there are a ton here so I apologize if I repeat a question. If you are using a store bought delicate leader and wanted to add a dry dropper to it would you use a triple surgeons not to add this on in a length for the depth you want to fish two feet grime the terminal end of the store bought leader?? Thx!

Where do I get neon wax? Ron

Can you use loons bio strike on the micro leader instead of the skafers?

I am new to fly fishing (well, I did some fly fishing for bluegill and perch as a boy 50+ years ago, but I don't think that counts for much!), and very new to Euro-nymphing. Your videos and book are super helpful. I like to wade up stream a fair amount so only carry one rod most of the time. I am fishing modest sized rivers and streams in water with mostly modest size fish (did catch an 18" rainbow the other day!) So switching out leaders needs to be easy. So I left the loop to loop. So to keep that connection from being a problem, I just use a 25 ft leader of 15# Maxima and 3 feet of tri-color sighter to the tippet ring, and about 5 feet of tippet (depending). The fly line simply stays on the reel as I can only cast but so far. Is that sensible? Or am I over looking something and there is a much better way (but still easy to swap leaders at will)? Thanks much again for all your instruction and help. Oh, bought some sighter wax from you the other day, might just do away with the sighter.

What kind of indicator mono do you use fir micro.

But what leaders are you using?

To be clear: You're not using a Euro Rod for your streamer rod, right?

Devin...you’re tired of being asked about leaders aren’t you? Hahahaha. Listen to the words that are falling out my mouth!

Totally my opinion... but there needs to be more TOTAL beginner euro nymphing content. It is these kinds of instructional videos that totally ruined my introduction to "euro nymphing". It made me think I had to make the exact same leader, or that I had to have the exact same type of euro nymphs, or the exact kind of rod/reel/line, etc, etc. The absolute best way to ruin a new passion is to overcomplicate everything right out of the gate. I wish someone would have just told me to go out and experiment. First, take off the indicator and see what happens. Then try heavier nymphs and a longer leader. Most importantly, keep your floating line inside the guides. Forget the new rod/reel/line and just use your 9-footer setup at first. Have fun, see what works, and get a "feel" for it. Worry about all the technical stuff later.

He puts a metal tippet ring on a dry fly leader or recommends a perfection loop as an option? OK???? saw enough of this.